UO admissions director's comments on SAT changes go nationwide

The College Board announced sweeping changes to the SAT college entrance exam this week, and University of Oregon admissions director Jim Rawlins was among experts whose opinions were cited in news stories across the country.

Rawlins, a former president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, was quoted in a an Associated Press story on Wednesday. The story was distributed to AP outlets throughout the U.S., and Rawlins' comments were published by 355 news organizations over two days, from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Gainesville Sun. Rawlins also was interviewed by Al Jazeera America about the SAT changes.

The College Board said the update — the first since 2005 — was necessary for the SAT exam to better represent students' high school coursework and skills needed for college and beyond.

Rawlins told The Associated Press the changes appear “potentially helpful and useful,” but the true impact may not be known until students who take the new test have gone on to college. Some institutions are still dealing with questions arising from the changes made in 2005, he said.

“It’s all in the details of how it all plays out,” Rawlins told the newspaper.

- from the UO Office of Public Affairs Communications